Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi added experience to his linebacker group Wednesday when graduate transfer Kylan Johnson officially joined the team from the University of Florida.
Johnson earned three letters for the Gators, starting a total of nine games over three seasons (2016-18). His career totals include 83 tackles, 5 1/2 tackles for a loss and one sack.
With one season of immediate eligibility remaining, Johnson provides depth and helps ease the loss of starting outside linebackers Elijah Zeise and Seun Idowu.
“Kylan is a really smart player with a great nose for the football,” Narduzzi said in a statement. “He can play either outside linebacker position and is a great fit for our scheme. Kylan’s experience and athleticism will be immediate assets for our linebacker group.”
Johnson, 6-2, 232 pounds, will compete for playing time with senior Saleem Brightwell, who has started 15 games over the past three seasons, sophomore Cam Bright and juniors Phil Campbell and Chase Pine. Campbell is a former safety who’s never started at linebacker, Bright was a backup last season and Pine has one career start, and that was at middle linebacker in last year’s Sun Bowl in place of returning regular Elias Reynolds.
Johnson was a three-star recruit at Skyline High School in Dallas where he played quarterback and threw for 2,456 yards and 36 touchdowns without an interception in his senior year.
